July started out happy because Bryan was finally back from away rotations but reality quickly set in that being a senior resident comes with a lot of extra time and responsibilities that we weren’t counting on. I think we both felt like we were about to finish a marathon only to have the finish line moved back a few miles! Oh well! That’s residency for ya!
So yes, July was a stretching month for us but luckily we still had some good times!
I had a couple of good friends move after their husband’s residencies finished and it was sad to say good-bye. Bryan took the four kids to the park one evening so that I could go say good-bye to one of these friends. Our family pretty much takes up a whole park these days!
The kids and I did a fun walk with a group of friends we hadn’t seen for months. It felt so good to spend time with friends again!
I love this pic of Maggie and her friend, Peter. They have been friends since their dads started medical school together when Maggie was just 2 months old!
Reese is always on the go these days when we set her free! 🙂
Bryan has always been a great pancake maker and the kids always request what shape they want him to make their pancakes in. Hank requested “Dad helping Hank ride his bike” and I think it turned out pretty great! 🙂
We bought some raspberries and I made a bunch of jam to fill the freezer with. It’s one of my very favorite things to do in the summer and it’s always nostalgic for me!
Bryan took Maggie to Cabela’s one evening and taught her to shoot.
The kids spent a lot of time playing with Lego’s!
And I am always trying to get them to put away toys during mealtime but they usually end up playing anyway. Here they have turned their tortillas into skirts for their princesses. 🙂
My friend, Dana, came and hung out for a few days and it was so great to have some adult interaction! She is so fun for my kids and they loved having her play the guitar and sing, make bracelets and chokers out of hemp, and do silly things like this…. 🙂
We took advantage of the sunny days that came with July and spent as much time as possible exploring beaches with friends.
Bryan put the hammocks up in our backyard and the kids spent hours outside playing in them.
Hank and Wendy are the best of frenemies these days! They play together so well…most of the time!
Reese is trying to keep up with the big kids as much as possible. She always asks to go “outside” and will be riding a scooter or bike on her own before I know it!
We announced baby number 5 and here are a couple of my favorite out-takes! The kids love telling everyone we pass in our neighborhood that I’m having another girl and I think Hank and Bryan are getting used to the idea that they will always be surrounded by girls!
One warm weekend day we drove to the actual beach with wind and waves. The kids all ate it up and it was such a fun day trip!
Bryan found a way to help us keep track of Reese!
And pretty soon, all the other kids wanted to join in! 🙂
You know it’s been a good beach day when your 3 year old falls asleep with sand all over his face two minutes into the drive home!
Some of our friend’s from DC just moved here and ended up buying a house in our neighborhood! We were thrilled! They set up a Covid style lemonade stand and sold pre-packaged Oreo cookies and cans of lemonade. My children were very happy customers and were excited to help them run the stand for a little bit one afternoon!
We took these same friends to one of our favorite places one evening. Hank is so happy to have a neighbor friend that is his age!
Once the tide came in Bryan went back to our car for our canoe and the kids had a blast going out to see a bunch of seals that all gather close to this beach.
We have had so much fun introducing our friends to some of our favorite spots in our corner of the PNW!
The last day of July we decided that their might be ripe blackberries at a fun spot near our house so we went there with friends.
We weren’t disappointed! The kids picked so many that we had to get ice cream to make blackberry shakes!
And of course they collected a few sticks along the way! I love this picture of my two oldest girlies!
That’s a wrap for July! We love the summers in the PNW and try to make the most of the sunny days. Even though Bryan was working a lot, he spent every day that he had off going outside to explore with us because he can’t stand to spend more time indoors when he is able to break free from the hospital! We are so glad we live where we live and I’m lucky that my kids are always up for adventures!
